Although various types of foundation ventilators and the like have been patented over the years, these have not received wide spread acceptance and even today standard opening 8 inches by 16 inches are left which corresponds to the size of standard building blocks. Once all masonry has been completed, vent frames and associated closures and screens are installed in the standard sized openings.
Openings for clothes dryer vents are not generally provided. This requires knocking a hole in the masonry to receive the metal sleeve for the vent. In buildings constructed from various types of sidings, (not including those veneered with brick, stone or stucco) the vent is usually placed in the floor joist band. This process is accomplished with a large electric drill and a hole saw. Both of the usual methods of installing dryer vents are labor intensive and time consuming.
In the construction of masonry as well as brick, stone and stucco veneer structures, a lintel is placed across the top of each of the normal 8 inch by 16 inch openings that are left so that foundation vents can be installed after all of the masonry work has been completed. These lintels support the rows of building material that is constructed above the opening. Since the use of lintels in openings is well known to those skilled in the art, further detailed discussion of the same is not deemed necessary.